Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-08-31


& Have tho people of this state entrusted 10
the governor or to Judge Wilson the question
Of determining on what OCCASION be Is justi.
ned in defeating the will Of their represents,
tives. or what action and dictates OF Z sound
public policy require him to takea II tho
governor has been mistaken in his Judgment
there 10 nothing whatever in the circunsstano.
% justtfyin9 bis action which at ali justiAes
or excuses the wanton attack made mon
him and bis motives contained in the letter
In question, but in the opinion of all fair.
minded and practical men conversant with
the facts and not blinded by political ambf.
ton or partisan fenzy, be was not mistaken
but performed an act In which equity to the
company and purchasers from 1t was combin-
ed with great benefit to the state. She has
thousands. of dollars in her treasury where
she would have had tax title on swamp.
and what is better she has provided for the
payment Of taxes upon the lands in the fu-
ture for all coming time. And now as to the
wtckedness Of
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
After the test suit was begun, the auditor
Of Ramsey county placed the s., OoO 900 mort
gage upon the tax list for the back taxes of
many years. amounting to more than $4,000
Mr., Wilson boasts in his letter that he caused
this to be done. The only object was to get
the taxes on the mortgage, If it was mort
gage, but the supreme court decided that it
was not mortgage, but an absolute convey
ance, which rendered the lands themselves
taxable. The railway company who made tho
bonds and mortgage had no property but
these lands. The bond and mortgage were
therefore worth just what the lands were
worth, and no more. It appeared in evidence
that they were not worth over 100000.
When the supreme court made its decision
that there was no mortgage, but an absolute
conveyance, which made the lands taxable in
specie, the company took that decision be-
lore the district court Of Ramsey county in
the suit to tax the mortgage, and asked for
judgment on the ground that that decision
established the fact that the mortgage was an
absolute conveyance, making the lands them
selves taxable. The attorney general was not
present, but was represented by Mr.. Mum, q
very able lawyer of this city, who so far from
consenting, very strenuously objected to q
judgment against the state. But the court
held that as the supreme court had decided
that there was no mortgage. none could be
taxed, and rendered judgment for the con-
structiOn company. in whose name the mort
gage had been taxed. When Judge Wilson
adorned the supreme court of this state, before
he took up politics, he would have decided in
the same way; but certainly If anybody ought
to be the subject of his criticism, it is the
court and not the attorney general. Judge
Wilson is my personal friend, but there are
two Judge Wilson's; one the astute lawyer,
81
mire; the other, the politician and newspaper
correspondent who wished the legal voters of
the state to think he had got corner on all
the honesty there is In the world, and who is
the self constituted guardian OF the governor.
attorney general, state auditor, etc, This
man il not my friend Judge Wilson, but is
Sergeant BusfuZ. GORDON e. COLE.
st. Paul, Aug. 19, 1887.